Special thank you to UTVUnderground.com Photographer Rusty Baptist of Fatography for holding us down trackside. Make sure to go to Fatography.Net and make some purchases and show your support for all of his efforts.

Here are the Unofficial Results

UTV Unlimited
Ryan Piplic
James Hill
Nic Granlund
John Pacheco
Ron Satter
Kenny Frost

UTV Production 1000
Cody Bradbury
Nick Thompson
Mark Partridge
Cory Dehoog
Jeffrey Fonseca
Tommy Scranton
Speedy Gonzales
Chris Redden
Niko Dawes
Bryan Carr
James Gorman
Roger Diaz
Nolan Remlinger
Dominic Magee
Shaween Abdi

1. Ryan Piplic 715
2. Cody Rahders 716
3. Brandon Hong 725
4. Jeremiah Staggs 776
5. Jason Merrell 718
6. Casey Filippi 759
7. Mark Patridge 788
8. Myles Cheek 757
9. Brandon Altmann 764
10. Jake Greco 777
11. Mike Gardner 108
12. Jordan Cochrom 702
13. Roger Diaz 785
14. Jake Yubeta 749
15. Jake Shirley 727
16. Bryan Carr 713
17. Niko Skiparnias 722
18. Tyler Parks 703
19. Jeremy Merrell 777x
20 Nic Granlund 768

Photos by: Aaron Colley // TeamShortCourse.com for UTVUnderground.com

Words by Joey DiGiovanni // UTVUnderground.com
Photos by: Vincent Knakal, Rusty Baptist & Joey DiGiovanni // UTVUnderground.com

GRUELING – Thats the best word to describe the 2013 Baja 500. 10 Pro UTV’s would stage to take on this challenging race, only 2 would finish. Of the 2, Polaris’ Matt Parks & Brandon Schueler in the 1932 Jagged X RZR XP would be the team to claim the top spot in the 2013 SCORE Tecate Baja 500. They are not only the first Pro UTV team to win this prestigious race, but now the first to go back to back having won the 2013 SCORE San Felipe 250 earlier this year also.

The race shifted leads a handful or times but when the Murray’s crashed and broke their Can-Am Maverick somewhere around RM 355, Matt Parks would take the lead and never look back. The Murray’s had a great run going through the middle of the race, escaping a bottle neck at the Summit and able to put a 30 +/- minute lead over the Jagged X machine by the time they reached the 200 mile mark. That lead would be enjoyed up until about RM300 when they would stop to perform their driver change and allow Parks to slowly begin to reel them in. Their late race crash would spoil their valiant effort and make way for Jagged X to take home their second win in the 3 race SCORE series. Jagged X would finish in 17 hours, 49 minutes.

While Jagged X ran away there was one team still in the hunt for the podium and that was the 1904 Can-Am Maverick of Cory Sappington. Sappington, despite a depleted crew would press hard into the night finishing well after the sun had risen. His effort despite having only 1 chase truck and having “ironmanned” the race behind the wheel would make his second place finish even more spectacular. Our hats are off to he and his crew for overcoming the challenging Baja 500. Sappington would finish in 20 hours, 20 minutes.

It is disappointing for us to see 8 of the 10 UTV’s DNF, but I know that each one of those teams and racers are even more disappointed. The time, effort and manpower needed to take on this race is enormous. The time some of these teams put into prep and pre-running makes DNF’ing even more heart breaking. We (the UTVUnderground.com crew) pulled an all nighter chasing the leaders to the finish and then waiting until almost 6am before seeing Jagged X finally cross the finish line almost 18 hours after they left. Baja racing is not for the weak, you don’t just show up and go race expecting to win let alone finish. It is an endurance race, a battle with the course more than with competitors. The Baja will make you feel like the biggest person on earth one minute and then humble you to the point where you begin to question your worth the next.

Racing in a UTV makes this challenge even more difficult. 200 + vehicles are sent off the line in front of you, some bigger and faster, some much slower. The course changes by the minute and you are left to not only try to defeat your opposing class racers but are also forced to deal with the carnage strewn before you by 200 machines raging down your same path. Baja isn’t just a race, its an experience. Some say the race gets in the way of the pre-run and partying, we would tend to agree there. But its this battle of man vs. machine vs. nature vs. the race course vs. competitors that makes the dynamic of Baja racing so much more gnarly then any other form of American desert or short course racing. Baja is the benchmark, if you want to be known as the best you must take on and conquer Baja. If you want to see where you and your team and machine truly rank amongst off-road racers then you have to race Baja. For years we have heard people say that Jagged X was the premier team in UTV off-road desert racing, but if they are so good then they should go race Baja. Well guess what, Jagged X has all but locked up a 2013 SCORE Championship, and for that we congratulate them.

I want to first thank each and every single racer, crew member, and team who represents UTVUnderground.com on and off the race course. Baja is a special place for us and to see so many of you come up and talk to us and thank us for our work makes it all worth it. I want to secondly thank our crew. We were up well beyond the 24hr mark before any of us got to go to sleep for any reasonable amount of time. Rusty, Ryan, Conrad and the rest of our crew worked their butts off to help us actually chase just the UTV’s in Baja for the first time ever. Chasing trophy trucks is easy, waiting up all night for UTV’s is a challenge even as a media crew. I apologize for not being able to get photos of every UTV racer out on course. Like any desert race we do what we can but at some point we have to leave our spots and run up with the leaders to ensure we get to the finish in time to see them across. Later this week we will drop a full video for Polaris surrounding our Baja 500 race experience and tell the story of the winning Jagged X team.

Until the 1000…..

Official SCORE Baja 500 Results HERE

See all of our contingency photos here: http://www.utvunderground.com/2013-baja-500-contingency-5768.html

The 45th Baja 500 is in full swing here in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The locals as well as the racers and their teams came out in full force. The entire town is ROCKING this week and the party will carry on well into the weekend.

Word is we will end with around 11 Pro UTV’s taking the green flag tomorrow around noon. The first 4 wheel vehicle (Trophy Trucks) are scheduled to leave the line at 10:30am PST which means we should see UTV’s go around 12:30pm. With some luck we will see a UTV finish around midnight so it will without a doubt be a LONG day!

The racers are primed and there is some existing as well as some new competitors here in the UTV class in Baja. San Felipe 250 winner Matt Parks in the 1932 Jagged X Polaris is here and along with his co-driver Brandon Schueler, who will drive the first half of the race, is ready to go for a back to back win.

The Murray’s are here representing Can-Am along with Corry Sappington and newcomer to the class Marc Burnett. Burnett is no stranger to the deserts of Baja having multiple truck wins under his belt here south of the border. This will be Marc’s first time in a UTV so we will see how well he and his brand new Maverick hold up.

Todd Romano, Hans Waage and the Baja famous Larry Roeseler are ready to tackle the grueling 500 mile course in their Arctic Cat Wildcat-X which has undergone a major transformation since its unveiling at Feburary’s San Felipe 250. The Wildcat is sporting a massive Long Travel system that has taken the wheelbase to over 100 long long and has widened the chassis almost 8 additional inches! They are coming to win, and their confidence is high.

UTVUnderground.com has teams positioned all over the race course and with some luck we will be able to get some updates out throughout tomorrows race in our forum at this link: CLICK HERE and on our Facebook page here: CLICK HERE

Stay tuned, its gonna be a BATTLE!!

Click HERE for Results & Standings

Photos by Harlen Foley

It has taken a year to build, months to perfect and now finally UTVUnderground.com in conjunction with The Magnum Offroad/Vigor Motorsports John Deere Race Team is pleased to introduce Part 1 of our 3 part Mad Media produced video series surrounding the build, testing and racing of the new John Deere RSX 850i Gator BITD Pro Race UTV!

We spent countless hours filming the team at Magnum Offroad during the build process of this state-of-the-art race UTV. With great excitement we are pleased to release “The 2013 John Deere Gator RSX 850i Best In The Desert Car Episode 1: The Build” as we come off the teams first finish of the season at the BITD Silver State 300. The Magnum Offroad/Vigor Motorsports team looks to take what they have learned both on and off the race course and put forth one of the most innovative race efforts ever to hit the UTV race scene.

Episode 1: The Build gives you an inside look at how and why this machine has come together and just what it takes to build a machine that truly will “Run Like A Deere”!

Enjoy the video and make sure to stay tuned here to UTVUnderground.com for future videos and updates surrounding the John Deere RSX 850i race team!

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and LIKE our Facebook page!

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©2013 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED // A UTVUNDERGROUND PRODUCTION

Adult models — 16 and older. Be sure to get safety training. The vehicle displayed in this video is not intended for on-road use. Driver must be 16 years old with a valid driver’s license. Passenger must be 12 years old, and tall enough to use hand holds and plant feet firmly on floor. Always use cab nets, wear seatbelts, helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Do not operate on public roads. Avoid excessive speeds, sharp turns, and difficult terrain. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix! Never carry more than the appropriate amount of passengers. Follow all warnings/instructions in owners manuals and on product. UTVUnderground and their affiliates are not responsible for injuries that may occur from emulating or copying the riding, driving, or stunts performed in this video. Visit http://www.rohva.org for more information on safe operation off-road vehicles.

Photos by: Vincent Knakal // Mad Media – Jason Zindroski // HighRev Photography

Coastal Racing, Winners of the 2013 Silver State 300

The Silver State 300 is a race that is slated between The Mint 400 and the legendary Baja 500. It rarely gets the attention or vehicle counts that other BITD races will garner. But this race for the past 2 years has been one of the best UTV desert races, possibly the best if you consider the battle that has been waged during this high speed rally style desert event. Last year the UTV race was decided by less than 30 seconds. This years race was decided by just over a minute with the lead being taken over in the final miles of the race.

Silver State is quickly turning into one of our favorite races of the year. The weather is usually perfect, the scenery at this race is awesome, and from a work standpoint its a fairly simple race to cover with only 300 miles to chase and multiple access roads to get us into some pretty good spots. As you can see by the Images that Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photo got and featured in this story, there are some very scenic and very challenging areas provided by this 300 mile race course that runs through Nevada’s high desert. Casey Folks and his team at Best In The Desert do a phenomenal job putting this race on and we at UTVUnderground.com were happy to be on hand for our 4th year in a row to cover this fun race.

The race kicked off on Saturday May 4th at 6:00am with motorcycles being first off the line. Next were the quads and by 6:40am the first UTV was sent off. As is the case with all of the UTV races at BITD the starting order is selected at random a couple weeks prior to the event. Luckily for the Polaris RZR XP4 of Cognito Motorsports, they were chosen to lead the pack of UTV’s off the line and into the dust of this extremely fast paced race course. While Justin Lambert, pilot of the Cognito machine would rejoice, his competitors would sigh with disbelief and would immediately know that the pressure would be on them starting at RM1. Cognito has been on a terror at the previous 2 BITD races. At the Parker 250 back in January, Cognito had almost a 9 minute lead with lass than 30 miles to go before suffering a mechanical that would push them not only out of the lead but also off the podium and into an 8th place finishing position. From there the team headed to the Mint 400 with high hopes of finishing strong but drew last for the start. By the midway point of the Mint, Cognito had found there way to the front. Beginning to check out, everything was looking solid and just as they began to settle into a steady pace to aim for the finish and the win bad luck would strike again thus pushing the team out of all hopes of finishing on the podium and delivering the team their first DNF of the season. The field of competitors in the PRO UTV class know its only a matter of time before Cognito works out the bugs and is able to hang onto one of these leads and take home a win. Having them go first off the line for them is a huge advantage for clean air and allows them to set the pace they like, which is blistering!

As the 1918 of Cognito shot off the line you could see the dust beginning to rise. The motorcycles and quads running out front were already stirring it up and with no wind in the air the dust had no where to go but to linger. By the time the final UTV was off  and into the desert the course looked like a scene out of Star Wars with only traces of trees peaking through the hovering dust trails. (Did you like my Star Wars reference? I felt it was fitting since the race fell on Star Wars Day “May The 4th Be With You!”) The race was on, and as expected Cognito was charging hard but to no one’s surprise so was the 1934 Coastal Racing Polaris of Scott Kiger and Mark Holz. The 2012 Champions were coming off of a dominating performance at the Mint 400 and with some minor mods to the car to adjust for this high speed race they were ready to go for back to back wins. 1 year ago at this race in 2012 the Coastal Racing team found themselves in a battle for the win with the 1919 Jagged X Polaris of Brandon Schueler. Kiger and Holz would edge Schueler out by less than 30 seconds to take the win so they knew coming into this race that they were going to have to let it all hang out. To add to the drama for this years race, random drawing positions would put Coastal directly behind the 1919 of Jagged X off the start. The battle was already laid out before the green flag had ever dropped!

By RM (race mile) 80 the field was beginning to set its pace. Cognito to no ones surprise was still out front and charging hard but they were also stuck directly behind a stubborn quad racer who despite being pressured within feet of the 1918 refused to move. When we saw Cognito charge by us the dust they were in was so bad that they actually had veered off course stopping just shy of a wood beam fence that could have ended their day. Just 2 minutes behind Cognito came the extremely fast machine of Coastal Racing. Kiger who was piloting the Polaris RZR Xp900 in the morning half of the race had already passed 99% of the people who started in front of him and was now beginning to chase down the leader. Only seconds behind them was the 1931 Jagged X Polaris of Craig Scanlon who in his own right has been quite fast this entire season and is clearly beginning to learn his new machine. With no time for practice or test sessions in between races, Scanlon is forced to learn and adapt to his machine on race day. As he shot by us his teammate Brandon Schueler in the 1919 appeared and not far behind him was the 1917 Can-Am Maverick of Murray Racing. We weren’t even at the half way point and the race was being challenged by 5 seriously capable machines with teams and drivers who had the skill and speed to go the distance.

We picked up and moved on but our coverage team at RM 130 would confirm the running order to be about the same. Same would be true through about RM 146 and then as the teams started to approach the 200 mile mark thats when things would begin to shake up. Cognito would roll into Pit 6 at RM 215 with almost a 7 minute lead over the now second place 1919 of Brandon Schueler. The 1919 Jagged X machine started a ways behind Cognito so checking out was a necessity for the 1918 Cognito RZR to maintain a winning time. Hot on the 1919 bumper was the 1934 with Mark Holz now behind the wheel. Holz took over the Coastal Racing RZR and began to push hard putting the rear tires in jeopardy and suffering multiple flat tires. But quick changes and an insanely fast race pace kept the Coastal car within striking distance of the second place Jagged X machine and well within reach of a corrected time victory should they continue to close the gap on Cognito in these final 100 miles. Over the radio we hear that the 1931 of Scanlon is down and possibly out. Having stopped to change a belt due to a feeling of slippage, it turns out after getting back going that the belt was not the problem but in fact the situation was much worse. As Scanlon began to push his car began to push back and before he could get back into the battle his clutch would let go forcing the 1931 to accept defeat and succumb to its first DNF of the season.

While the 3 Polaris machines of Cognito, Jagged X and Costal ran out front it would be the 1917 Can-Am of Murray Motorsports that would be the first non Polaris to begin to push for its share of the Podium. With less than a 100 miles to go the Murray Motorsports Maverick 1000 would begin to turn up the heat and charge hard into the dust to chase down the dueling RZR’s of Jagged X and Coastal. With less than 50 miles to go talk would begin to fill the air at the finish line of whether or not Cognito could hold onto the lead but before the debate could heat up any further radio chatter would once again lessen the mood for us rooting for a clean finish for the team. The 1918 has a broken clutch is what we were told and the 1919 and 1934 are still racing bumper to bumper and are now past the Cognito RZR. For the 2nd time this year Cognito has suffered failure by a very expensive STM clutch component which now will cost them their second possible race win of the year. Clutches have become the achilles heal of these high powered RZR’s having wounded the Jagged X team and Coastal teams numerous times over the past 2 seasons. Jagged X fought fiercely last year to overcome their clutch issues and resorted to lessening HP out of their Kroyer Racing Engines to keep their TEAM clutches in perfect running order. Yet despite all of their efforts a clutch took out Scanlon in the 1931 this race and now Cognito with their high HP Muzzys engine, have once again detonated another of these costly parts in their RZR. While they would work to get their’s repaired at Pit 7 the 1919 and 1934 would begin to see if they could duplicate last years close finish.

It was like deja-vu at the finish line seeing the Jagged X and Coastal team’s come walking up. They fought back excitement hoping to not jinx either of their racers. Coastal knew they had to finish within 30 seconds of Jagged X to steal the win on corrected time and Brandon Schueler in the 1919 knew that to be the case as well. We positioned a camera team at RM 296 which is a thick silty turn just before the finish. I radioed to the team to confirm who was leading and by how much once they saw them. From the finish line, out in the distance we could see 2 dust trails being kicked up very close to each other, we knew the 1919 and 1934 would duking it out and excitement began to rise. Other chase teams were arriving including the now disgruntled Cognito Motorsports team who just couldn’t believe their luck would once again put them into this position. But before any of us could settle into any further conversation over the radio we here “Coastal is in the lead with Jagged just behind him”. At that point we knew that Coastal Racing would once again be repeat winners of the Silver State 300 just narrowly edging out Schueler in the 1919 Jagged X machine.

Jagged X, the absoute definition of sportsmanship laughed, shrugged and then congratulated the sincere and excited Scott Kiger as the race cars made their way to the podium. Scanlon, driver of the 1931 and head of the RZR product line for Polaris, despite being driver of a competing team still happy that a Polaris would top the podium. As the Coastal Racing machine rolled off the stage, driver Mark Holz finally cracked a smile as he hollered for a cold beer. Holz is a hard guy to read at times. Very docile in personality and at times dry, leaving you to wonder what he is really thinking, had left no doubt in any of our eyes that he was anything other than ecstatic with their win. Anytime I can draw a high-five handshake out of Holz I take it! So while stories of the race and cold beers are now being shared by the top 2 finishers it was the 1917 Can-Am team of Murray Motorsports and the now revived and running 1918 team of Cognito Motorsports left to wonder just who would round out the podium. As the dust trails began to creep closer and closer the distinct yellow and red graphics of the 1917 Can-Am began to show in the overhead sunlight at the finish line of the Silver State 300. The Murray’s would bring home a podium for the Can-Am X-Team making it clear to Polaris that they were still very much alive, involved, and competitive. This season is just barely underway, there is a lot of racing left and a lot can happen between now and December. The points battles are heating up, the goals of winning championships are beginning to be discussed and yet the biggest race of the year is just now on the horizon.

Its not how we wanted the story to go, but it seems only fitting that as we kicked off our story describing the bad luck that the Cognito team has suffered in the previous 2 races that we finish it discussing it further. If there were trophies handed out for miles leading a race then the 1918 would surely take it home. However, if there was a trophy for bad luck they would now have at least 3 adorning their mantle as well. These guys are on the cusp of not only winning but dominating a race. It looked as if they could have gone wire to wire in this one but as luck would have it, they would have to settle with a 4th. Still an improvement and by all means a solid finish. Its just the finish they need to keep their name in the championship discussion but with that said, should Coastal continue to walk away with the top spot any further, the work they cut out for teams like Cognito is going to be undoubtedly more and more difficult. All you can really say at the end of a day like Cognito had is “thats racing”. You win some, you lose some, but in the end if you come out able to race another day then its easy to look at the race as a successful one despite your finishing position. They will be back, and we will be there to witness their luck turn around.

As always, UTVUnderground.com wants to thank each and every team, racer and fan that represents our colors on and off the race course. Nothing makes us happier then seeing those UTVUnderground colors adorning the sides of your race machines. We do this as fans #1, but we do this for you in the end. Our heart is with the sport and we love to tell your story, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to represent UTVUnderground.com as you would any other sponsor! We also want to thank our team at Mad Media for chasing the race with us to film and capture the battle on video. Stay tuned to UTVUnderground.com for an exciting Polaris Racing video from Silver State. Huge shout out to Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography for commanding the race course all day long and capturing some stunning images for us. While I try to be out at as many places as I can, Jason allows us to have more looks and is able to stay in spots longer allowing us to get shots of the deeper portion of the class while we run up front to tell the story of the winners. Lastly, we want to thank Cognito Motorsports for sponsoring our coverage for this round. These coverage sponsors allow us to provide better coverage and help get us to the races so we thank you for your support!

Until Vegas 2 Reno…..

Words by: Joey DiGiovanni // UTVUnderground.com

Photos by: Jason Zindroski // HighRev Photography & Joey DiGiovanni // UTVUnderground.com

Coverage Sponsorship by: Cognito Motorsports

Photos by Phil Kaos Photography

Round 4 of the 2013 WORCS Racing Series was by far the best round to date. Sand Hollow SVRA in Hurricane, UT would play host to not only the most beautiful course in the 2013 WORCS season but also the most ferocious of track layouts that one could ever expect. This race would not only test the will of drivers but would also put every bit of their equipment to the limit. This was not a race to show up to with a UTV that was not properly prepped and ready for war!

With weather in the 80 degree range and not a cloud in the sky, the course that lay on the banks of the Sand Hollow Reservoir made the atmosphere feel more like a vacation then a race. The track itself would be made mostly of Sand Hollow’s bright orange and unforgiving sand and would twist itself 12 miles through traitorous rocky hill climbs and dune filled descents. While the sand would wreak havoc on gas mileage and engine temperature, the rocks would play enemy to the competitor’s wheels and tires. And without a motocross track section involved, this race would be the closest thing to a desert race that the WORCS Series has to offer.

Just fewer than 70 UTV’s would line up to take on the Sand Hollow WORCS event. 22 of the entries would be competing in the Pro Production class with 19 lining up for war in the Production 1000 class. Out of the 41 starting in those 2 classes only 27 would complete 2 laps, which is all the race would end up being. Due to its difficulty, 2 laps would be all that the racers could get done in the allotted time limit with RJ Anderson being the fastest of the competitors completing the race in 55 min 53 seconds.

Normally at a WORCS race it is easy for us to monitor race positions and the battles that take place within. We usually see the competitors numerous times on course and can track who is where, who passed who and who has broken and fallen out. Sand Hallow would not lend itself to this type of coverage however. UTVUnderground, despite full access to the entire course thanks to Sean Reddish and his team at WORCS and a Polaris XP900 lent to us by RJ Anderson and the Walker Evans Racing team, would only be able to see the racers 2 times on course due to its length. With that said, it was very hard to follow all of the battles taking place in this battle of attrition but we did our best to track what we could.

We would stage ourselves at RM4.5 for our first lap photo location. The spot was a 2-line, up hill rock climb with one of the most amazing backdrops a photographer could ask for. WORCS would go away from the 2-race format for this race due to time constraints and the size of the track thus sending off the racers row by row starting with Pro Production. Bobby Vanbeekum (POL) to no one’s surprise would hole shot and lead the pack up through our location but it would only be another ¼ of a mile past us where Vanbeekum’s tie rod would fail and end his day and chances of winning back-to-back rounds. The tie rod failure would be enough to let the hard charging 2012 champion Ryan Piplic (POL) into the lead and he would not look back. RJ Anderson (POL) would be sent off in row 2 of the Pro Production class putting RJ in a position to really work himself and his machine to catch up to the lead pack that was quickly putting time on the rest of the field.

The Production 1000 class would be the next class to leave the line at Sand Hollow and class points leader Mitch Guthrie Jr. (POL) was looking to make Sand Hollow his 4^th win in a row this season. Guthrie, a teenager from Southern California drives with the skill and intelligence of a man twice his age. It doesn’t hurt when your teacher and father is one of the best behind the wheel of a UTV in his own regard having dominated the UTV class at the famed King Of The Hammers race event since its inception. Mitch Jr. had some returning competition as expected but he also had a new competitor coming to battle in Tanner Godfrey (ARC) of Sandy, UT. Godfrey, a former MX champion who broke his back in a MX accident 5 years ago and lost the use of his legs recently set a new official world long jump record in his Arctic Cat Wildcat launching the UTV 105ft. This feat should come as no surprise to anyone who recognizes the Godfrey name. Tanner’s uncle Greg Godfrey is the founder of the famed Nitro Circus crew whom are known for their insane action sports inspired stunts. The entire Godfrey Clan participates in the Nitro Circus and the Wildcat has allowed Tanner who is teaching himself to walk again to get back into the family business.

A couple of other hard charging Utah locals would also line up in the Production 1000 class. Brent Fox (POL) of Highland, UT and Richie Gainer (POL) of West Jordan, UT would join Godfrey and Guthrie in leading the pack of 1000’s around the challenging course. Unfortunately for Guthrie his goal of winning the race would soon turn into a goal of just finishing as he would suffer 2 broken thumbs in a violent impact on lap 1. But instead of quitting Guthrie would gut it out and end up still finishing in the 4^th position, proving that the young gun not only has the ability to win races but also has the strength and courage to overcome such tremendous pain and gut out a top 5 finish. His injury would leave the 3 Utah boys to duke it out to the finish. Godfrey who drives with the use of a cane due to his limited leg use would not only inspire those who are aware of his story but would also shock the field as they witness this skilled racer whip his UTV around the course and battle for a win pushing race leader Brent Fox all the way to the finish. Fox would hold off Godfrey in the end to take the Production 1000 win putting Godfrey in 2^nd leaving Gainer to round out the Podium. We want to wish Mitch Guthrie Jr. a speedy recovery and we hope he will be back in Round 5 with full health. We also want to congratulate Tanner Godfrey on his 2^nd place finish. He is a huge inspiration and all things aside, his driving skills speak volumes and we only hope to see Godfrey back out there competing at future rounds.

While the Pro’s were battling for the overall and cars were flipping, breaking, and leaving a wake of parts in their path, the Production 850 class was duking it out on their own terms. Class point’s leader Alfredo Ramirez (POL) was looking to get his 2^nd win of the season while his teammate Chris Willing (POL) was looking to get back into his groove having not seen the top of the box since round 1. But while the boys were looking to get back to their winning ways it would be women’s pro MX racer Sara Price (POL) who would look to be making her own mark on the 850 class. Despite Price’s quick start would soon be overcome by the powerful Kawasaki’s piloted by Nolan Remlinger (KAW) and Justin Lambert (KAW) both of whom were looking to get back into the points battle. Lambert would pull the hole-shot and as the class settled into their groove the running order would begin to take shape. Price’s RZR was clutched for the bottom end leaving her without the top end to keep up in the fast sections while the Kawaski’s and RZR of Ramirez would slowly start to put time on the field. Remilinger would lead the pack up through RM4 but before he could continue his lead on to the finish he would succumb to an engine fire which would leave his machine broken and his chances of winning or finishing going up in smoke.

The Production 850 class would become spread out having to dice around the slower and broken 1000’s and the pro’s in front of them, but one 850 racer who was stuck in the back would begin to make his way to the front slowly picking his way through the desert and through the field methodically. Danny Rosenzweig (JHN) is easily the biggest underdog in the WORCS series piloting the only John Deere RSX 850i in the series. The yellow and green machine built by magnum Offroad rarely gets the respect it surely deserves. Rosenzweig has taken a slow but steady approach to the season with goals of being the first John Deere UTV to win a championship in off-road competition. Rosenzweig, owner of Magnum Offroad took on the challenge of building a John Deere RSX for competition and has faced the challenge head on and with multiple top 5 finishes this season putting he and his goal of winning a championship well within reach. So as the pack would begin to thin out, Rosenzweig would begin to turn up the heat and make his way to the front finding himself just behind the 2^nd place UTV of Lambert as they made their way though the final lap of the race. While Ramirez was pulling hard in 1^st place Lambert and Rosenzweig would find themselves in a race of their own. Lambert was determined to keep his Kawasaki in front of the Deere despite having a blown rear tire since before the end of the first lap, Lambert was not stopping unless the machine forced him too. Rosenzweig would catch the wounded yet still very capable Kawasaki at the top of the racecourse around RM8 and would begin to push Lambert in hopes of causing him to make a mistake. With limited passing lanes Rosenzweig was forced to run on Lamberts rear bumper as they made their way down the sand dune decent towards the finish line. Lambert refusing to let up was flying over blind razor back dunes while the green and yellow RSX would be pushed to its limits trying to run him down. The battle would be waged all the way to the checkered flag with Lambert narrowly beating out Rosenzweig and finishing just behind Ramirez awarding the John Deere its first ever podium finish!

As the battles and carnage behind them were taking place it was the overall win that was on the minds of the top 3 in the Pro UTV class. Piplic, Anderson, and Baron in that order were barreling through the desert running their XP900’s to the absolute limit. Piplic despite having the physical lead knew he had to put in a solid finish to overcome the time difference between his and Anderson’s separated start time.  Anderson was in the 2^nd row while Piplic was sent off in row 1. As we sat in our second photo location at approximately RM10.5, we waited to see who would be the lead UTV on course. In the distance we could hear the tight wound sound of a high-strung XP900 which quickly turned into a buzz and then immediately we saw the orange plastics of Piplic crest the dune giving us reason to believe that he could possibly become the round 4 race winner. But before he got out of range of our camera lenses was the roar of another XP900 and like a rocket the green RZR of Anderson came shooting over the same dune like a man possessed. RJ signaled to us as if asking for permission for take off as he launched once again over the dune we were standing on making it clear that he was not going to let up the rest of the way down the hill. RJ would push until he reached Piplic’s rear bumper, dicing looking for a way to get around as they approached the narrowed finish. With the largest crowd of the season standing at the finish line in anticipation, Piplic led the 2 high powered race UTV’s through the highway underpass tunnel bumper to bumper as they plowed through the finish line. The narrow physical finish would give Anderson the overall win and award Piplic with a hard earned 2^nd. Not to be outdone and only a slight distance behind the 2 would be Beau Baron (POL) who’s wounded RZR would round out the top 3.

Round 4 of the 2013 season in Sand Hollow was by far the most fun, scenic, challenging and exciting race of the season thus far. For us at UTVUnderground.com it was our favorite WORCS race that we have ever attended. Spending time at this facility was an awesome change of pace and we can only hope for a return to Sand Hollow in 2014. UTVUnderground.com wants to thank the staff at WORCS and Utah’s BLM for a well done, fantastic race event. It was a well-attended race on all ends and it went off in a big way. UTVUnderground.com also wants to thank all of those who took time to donate to the Josh Fredrick Foundation. We hope to see Josh make a full recovery after his round 3 accident that has left him with a terrible back injury and with no use of his legs.

As always, UTVUnderground.com wants to thank each and every single racer and team that runs our colors and represents us both on and off the track.  Nothing makes our day more than to see all those UTV’s running those underground decals!

Until the next war……

SEE ALL RESULTS HERE

Words & Photos by: Joey DiGiovanni // UTVUnderground.com

Related Stories:

Tanner Godfrey World Record Jump

WORCS RD4 Practice Photos

The 2nd round of the 2013 Dirt Series was a solid one for UTV racers. Racers competed in 4 different UTV classes with multiple manufacturers being represented out at the Perris MX facility. UTVUnderground.com wants to thank each and every racer who attended the race and represented UTVUnderground.com! We always appreciate the return support and can’t thank you guys enough for running our colors on and off the track!

Huge thank you to Rusty Baptist of UTVUnderground.com for holding us down trackside and capturing all the images for you to enjoy! You can purchase these images in high resolution by emailing Rusty at fatography.net@gmail.com!

We will see you at Round 3!!!

UTV Unlimited

UTV Production 1000

UTV Production 850

UTV Production 700

As always, UTVUnderground.com wants to thank each and every racer out there running our colors and representing the site on and off the track! Huge thank you to Ryan Torres of Ryan Torres Photography for covering the race for us, make sure to stop by his site to purchase the awesome photos you see below!

Big congrats go out to UTVUnderground Racers Jerry Staggs, Jason Weller, and Hans Waage for winning in their respective classes!!

Jerry Staggs of Staggs Racing pilots his Polaris RZR XP900 to another 1st place win!

Walker Evans Racing Polaris XP900 Class

1. Jerry Fast
2. Cody Rahders
3. Jake Greco
4. Myles Cheek
5. Casey Filippi
6. Brandon Altman
7. Nic Granlund
8. Dave Lytle
9. Mark Patridge
10. Bryan Carr
11. Roger Diaz
12. Jeremy Merrell
13. Jacob Yubeta
14. Jason Merrell
15. Sheldon Creed
16. Jordon Cochrum
17. Mike Gardner
18. Niko Skiparnias
19. John Schaffer

Jason Weller of Weller Racing pilots his Weller Racing SR1 to a 1st place win!

Optima Batteries SR1 Championship Series / Black Rhino UTV

1. Jason Weller
2. Gary Thompson
3. Robert Wilson
4. Hans Waage
5. Dan Burke
6. Clayton Graham
7. Kenny Frost
8. Blake Malgren
9. Andrew Berry
10. Sean Lorenz
11. David Nagy
12. Wayne Matlock
13. Steve Beilman
14. Adam Gruender
15. Doug Leeper
16. Sean Brininger
17. Brandon Kilgore
18. Corry Weller
19. Jared Poppe
20. James Hill
21. Bryan Osborn

Most of us in the off-road world have thought it…and many of us have joked about it, but UTV’s are REAL racecars and they ARE changing the future of our sport for the better. Often times we find ourselves scratching our head as to how or why anybody would ever want to race something in a long distance desert race that is the size of a Smart Car and has the power-plant of a motorcycle or ATV. After watching the Mint 400 this year, it is time to start giving UTV’s the respect they deserve. I think it’s time we acknowledge the impact they are having on the off-road industry and how the manufacturers building these machines may actually become some of the biggest driving forces behind our sport.

Back in the “hay-days” of off-road racing it was Ford verses Chevy, verses Dodge, verses Nissan, verses Toyota, and at any one moment in time any of those manufacturers could win. Then due to the economy and lack of media coverage, along with numerous other reasons, manufacturer support went to the wayside – and it has barely been touched since. Although UTV manufacturers aren’t exactly putting the same amount of sponsor dollars or team funding out there yet, compared to what the big auto manufacturers were in their day, what we are seeing is true factory support for the first time in 4 wheel off-road racing since the mid 90’s. Yes, Honda & KTM are battling in Baja, but the reality is, the UTV class is the only class that has multiple, (not just two), manufacturers sinking tens…and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars into multiple race programs, both in the desert and in short course / MX style racing. How many other classes in off road racing can say they have factory support from five different manufacturers?

Not only do UTV racers have the factory support but they are also laying down some of the fastest laps against some of the highest dollar classes. In the 2 lap UTV (limited) race at the 2013 Mint 400, UTV racers put down an average finish time of 04:50:00 after two 100 mile laps through some of the harshest Nevada desert that you can find. In those 2 laps, the winning UTV (Coastal Racing Polaris RZR XP) beat; every single Class 8 truck, 6100 trucks, 7200 trucks, Class 10 cars, ¾ of the 1600 field and even TrophyLite’s. OK, I know, all those other trucks are dealing with TT’s and Class 1’s who are chewing up the course, but think about it. This same course was bad in the first race and UTV’s are racing on tires from 25” up to 30” tall and even the fastest guys are only sporting about 125hp, which for one of these UTV’s is a lot. They too are also racing against bigger trucks and buggies that are ripping up the course and are battling against almost 30 of their own fellow competitors! The point is, UTV’s ARE getting quicker and they certainly can hold their own in the desert. What made this even more exciting is three different manufacturers had a chance to win with less than 50 miles to go! Factory Can-Am, Polaris and Arctic Cat supported racers all had their chance to claim the top spot. And while the factory backed John Deere team had their share of troubles in the race – they still lined up and represented one of the largest (US) manufacturers in the world.

As the lead changed hands multiple times, the UTV race at the Mint 400 became more and more exciting to watch.  Scott Kiger drove his HOLZ built Coastal Racing Polaris backed XP900 across the finish line with a time of 4 hours and 40 minutes. Meanwhile…Joseph Vinagro in his Polaris XP4 and (the 2012 Mint 400 Champs) Jason & Derek Murray sat at the finish line in their factory Can-Am adding and subtracting to find out where they would stand on the podium. Kiger would have the first place position clinched, and a mere two seconds would separate second and third place. As luck would have it, the 2012 Mint 400 champs Jason & Derek Murray would miss out on the second place position by the slim margin of two seconds. The Murray’s couldn’t help but think about the time spent in the dirt changing tires, replacing tie rods and even getting out to check the CV’s. Without that downtime Jason & Derek could have possibly taken their Can-Am Maverick straight to the top of the podium and become the first ever repeat UTV Mint 400 champions.

This 3^rd place podium finish would be satisfactory to most out there taking on this brutal event.  We are sure the Murray’s were pleased to be on the podium at the end of the day, but their sponsor Can-Am wants nothing more than to beat their arch rival Polaris at every race, and that is a fact. That right there is the battle within the battle that makes this class and its potential for growth so exciting. The drive to beat a competitor is what motivates manufacturers to build bigger and faster factory based platforms, which in turn continue to draw in more new and existing off-road customers. Right now Polaris is dominating the field in all areas of UTV racing, but Can-Am and Arctic Cat in particular are not willing to lay down. Instead they are building bigger and faster machines – not only to give consumers what they want, but to provide the race market with the machines they need to go out and beat Polaris!

The battle is nothing new to motorsports and certainly not new for off-road. With that said this battle is and should be welcomed by all involved in this sport as the off-road racing segment currently is yearning for more exposure and growth. While 2 wheel companies continue to pull programs and 4 wheel auto manufacturers continue to look the other way, UTV manufacturers are here to wage war and invest millions into this culture and sport. The fact that John Deere is willing to put an effort together to compete in the off-road world should say something. This is a billion dollar company that could outspend just about anyone involved in the off-road world. There is no way they would spend a dime in off-road if they didn’t think there was substantial potential for growing their own market share.

Figures surrounding the flagship UTV Polaris factory desert race team Jagged-X have been rumored to be in the $250K range per year. Whether or not its true or whether or not this would impress or surprise other off-roaders is beside the point. What has happened is Jagged-X has raced their way to earning their very own RZR XP model introduced by Polaris over New Years, at a million dollar party called Camp RZR. When was the last time you saw Chevy introduce the “BJ Baldwin Edition” Chevy 1500 or Nissan produce the “Carl Rennezeder Edition” Titan? In Glamis? On New Years Eve? With free hot dogs?

Jagged X not only races at the most elite level and has turned their championships into developing their very own “Jagged-X Edition” RZR, they have also drawn out Polaris Director of Sales and Marketing of the Off-Road Vehicle Division, Craig Scanlon into becoming a rising “no-joke” competitor in the Pro UTV class. I can’t remember IF or when the Director of Sales for Ford or Chevy ever came to an off-road race, let alone RACED it! Not only did Polaris sponsor the Mint 400 this year, they have also expanded their Jagged-X factory teams efforts to take on Baja. Matt Parks, racing for Jagged X, just won the San Felipe 250 in the newly founded Pro UTV class. Keep your eye on him for the Baja 500 and 1000.

UTV’s are real off-road machines, their OEM’s are making a huge push in the sport of off-road racing, and they can be just as competitive as any other full tube chassis race car. In what other class can you go finance a machine for less than $20K and with around $10K more invested have a turn-key desert racer to go compete in an equally competitive class? Not to mention the machine you could be financing comes out of the box with up to 18” of wheel travel, 2.5” coil over / piggy back FOX Racing Shox, bead locked Walker Evans Racing wheels, power-steering, and just under 100hp in a 1200lb chassis! These machines are impressive and one ride around the desert or just a glance at one of the Jagged X Polaris backed race UTV’s will immediately open your eyes to their potential and just where they are at today.

Off-road racing isn’t cheap by any means, but with factory support and a huge fun factor, UTV racing is relatively affordable for the average Joe. The off-road community needs to take notice and the time is now.  So before you begin to think that these “golf carts” are just getting in the way and / or are just adding danger to an already dangerous sport, consider this, just who are you relying upon to help us keep this sport we all love growing and alive?

Words by Adam “Gunnslinger” Gunn

Photos by Jason Zindroski, Vincent Knakal, Rusty Baptist, Joey DiGiovanni 

Story & Photos by: Josh Arnold – ATVEscape.com
Everyone loves a party, and every year the High Lifter ATV Mud Nationals delivers the party to over ten-thousand avid ATV and UTV fans, from literally all over the World. Every year the masses converge on Jacksonville, TX, March 20-24th, along with all their toys, trailers, and RVs, all in search of a good time. This year the Mud Nationals delivered the party to more ATV and UTV fanatics than ever, with an all-inclusive package of great food, music, contests, custom builds, give-ways, demo rides, vendor areas, mud racing, and of course lots and lots of MUD! If you missed the party this year, then you can start planning for next year’s 2014 ATV Mud Nationals, because it is never too early to start planning!

This year the ATV Mud Nationals kicked off on Wednesday, March 20th, but the party started the weekend before, with people coming in to scope out the best camping spots, and staking their claim to a little piece of “heaven” at Mud Creek Off-Road Park. By Tuesday, the vendors had arrived, and set up their various tents of wares, including tires, axles, seats, radio systems, clothing, and of course some outstanding food. By the time the gates opened on Wednesday morning, the party was up and running in full force as people lined up at the gate with ATVs, UTVs, RVs, and even tractor trailers all waiting to join the party. It is eye-candy for all to see, and it never ceases to amaze to see so many people here for a little bit of mud.Right out of the gate on Wednesday, the Mud Nationals kicked off with two competitions, including the “Bad 2 ’da Bone” and the “Mud Jam” competitions.  The “Bad 2 ’da Bone” is a competition for the most impressive custom ATVs and UTVs on the planet, and if you like custom built machines, then this is the place to be. Some of the ATVs and UTVs are truly amazing to gawk at and dream about! The Mud Jam competition is the for the loudest and most amazing ATV or UTV sound system out there, and it is something to be heard. Both of these competitions didn’t disappoint, and turned out works of art wrapped inside an ATV or UTV. These events are always crowd pleasers, and you never know what is going to turn up.

On Thursday the party was taken up a notch with the Massimo Obstacle Course Competition and the S3 Power Sports Poker Run. The Massimo Obstacle Course required riders to conquer logs, tires, crushed cars, dirt hills, and water pits, all in a timed event. The crowds loved this event, and it turned out to be an outstanding spectator spectacle as participants worked to complete the course in as little time as possible. Imagine being challenged to run over crushed cars with your ATV or UTV. What a blast! Next up on Thursday was the S3 Power Sports Poker Run. Contestants had to race around the park to five stations to have their cards punched, with the lowest and highest hand winning.

Friday turned up even more people as trucks and trailers lined up from the main highway into the park itself. Friday also geared up the mud races to the delight of the crowds, and taking the Mud Nationals back to what started it all; MUD RACING! The Can-Am Mud Bog included classes for all ATVs and UTVs including a Mud Bog for kids.   Racers hit the mud pit at full-throttle anywhere from two to four across, pushing themselves and their machines to the limit to be the first across the line. Some racers made it across first, some made it across, and some didn’t make it and had to be rescued. If you have never seen ATV and UTV mud racing, then you are missing out on a bunch of fun. Watching these racers hit the water at full-throttle with water and mud flying everywhere, could not be more entertaining to watch. Be sure to check out!

The other Friday ATV event was the HMF Endurance Challenge, consisting of two-person teams racing through the deepest and longest mud hole in the park down the high line. Teams must race from one end to the other and back with both members and their ATV or UTV crossing the finish line.  Winners are determined by the fastest time. This event is truly an endurance race, as the racers must face fatigue in order to even complete the course, much less do it in a fast time.

Friday came to a conclusion with nothing less than a concert by Frank Foster on the stage in the Oasis Vendor Area.  Crowds enjoyed some great music, good food, and a way to wind down after a fun-filled day.

Saturday dawned to a new day with several things to keep event attendees busy, but the star of the party was the Polaris Mudda-Cross races in the afternoon. Again, you have to see this racing in action to appreciate how much fun it is. Mud and water sling everywhere, motors roar, and racers work their machines in order to get to the finish line first. The experience of seeing all of this is epic, and a must if you love ATVs and UTVs. Once the Mudda-Cross races concluded, the award ceremony topped off the different competitions at the 2013 Mud Nationals. Saturday ended with yet another concert in the Oasis Vendor Area by Blackberry Smoke with Drake White.

Though the ATV Mud Nationals offers many different events for the attendees to participate in or watch, there also is plenty to see in the two vendor areas. This year the vendors were there in force including ATV and UTV manufacturers, tire and wheel manufactures, and all sorts of aftermarket manufacturers of everything from winches to LED lights. Can-Am, Yamaha, Polaris, Arctic Cat, Massimo, Bad Boy, Bennche, and KYMCO all had a presence at the Mud Nationals. Some offered demo rides and offered free mechanical services, while others displayed their product lineup. ITP and STI showed off their latest wheels and tires, while MTA sold wheels and tires from all different brands in the event attendees showed up with the need for some different tires. There were all sorts of other aftermarket companies including Xtreme LED, Offroad Sound Systems, PRP Seats, S3 Power Sports, KFI Products, WildBoar ATV Parts, Custom Splice, WARN, Gorilla Axle, just to name a few. Of course the High Lifter store was open for business every day, showing off their latest products. The food choices included everything from stuffed jalapeno peppers (which were excellent!) to Cajun cooking. There was no shortage of choices as far as food and refreshments were concerned. People had no lack of items to look through, buy, and eat at the Mud Nationals.

Finally on Sunday, people had a few more remaining hours to enjoy the 2013 Mud Nationals, and the party started to wind down. Trucks, trailers, RVs, and tractor trailers began rolling out of Mud Creek Off-Road Park with their owners in tow, as they set off into to sunset back to where they came. Vendors packed up reeling from several days of lots of activity, conversations, and excitement. It is safe to say fun was had by all as the eleventh year of the ATV Mud Nationals faded off into history. No one has to despair however, because the ATV Mud Nationals will be back in 2014 to Jacksonville, TX, for another year of food, fun, and MUD RACING. WHAT A PARTY!

Make sure to visit ATVEscape.com, download the aps and read the monthly online digital magazine!

Results

 

DynoJet Bad 2 ‘da Bone – The show and shine competition gives ATV and UTV enthusiasts a platform to showcase their hard work in crafting a ride like no other. Winners are chosen by public ballot.

Place	Name	ATV/UTV
1st	Mark Wise	2009 Can-Am Outlander
2nd	Scott Meshell	2013 Can-Am Maverick
3rd	Ryan Wells	2011 Polaris RZR XP 900

 

Wet Sounds Mud Jam – This contest features two first place winners with one awarded the “Loudest” based on decibel reading and once awarded the “Outrageous” based on public ballot.

Place	Name	ATV/UTV
1st (Loudest)	Scott Funderburk	2011
1st (Outrageous)	Brian Lane	2012 Polaris RZR

 

Massimo Obstacle Course – This event was open to any ATV or UTV. Vehicles had to conquer logs, tires, crushed cars, dirt hills, and water pits in this timed event.

Place	Name	Team
1st	Brian Bowden	Arkansas Mudslingers
2nd	Craig Treadwell	Arkansas Mudslingers
3rd	Kyle Forsythe	Custom Splice

 

S3 Power Sports Poker Run – Entry to this event was complimentary and open to all attendees. Participants raced to five stations around the park to have their poker cards punched. Prizes were awarded to high hand and low hand

Place	Name
High Hand	Richard Scarborough
Low Hand	Wesley Reeves

 

HMF Endurance Challenge – This competition consists of two-person teams willing to tough it out through the deepest and longest mud hole in the park. Teams start at one end of the high line, proceed to the marked end, and return to the starting line. Teams are timed and winners determined by the fastest time. Both teammates and an ATV or UTV must cross the finish line to score.

Place	Name	Team
1st	Dakotah Klein & John Ferranti	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am
2nd	Mark Wise & Seth Russell	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am
3rd	Craig Treadwell & Brian Bowden	Arkansas Muddslingers

 

Can-Am/BRP Mud Bog 600cc and Under – This event was restricted to ATVs with engines 600cc and under. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced through 150 feet of mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Adam Ladner	Team Anyting Goes	Can-Am Outlander 500
2nd	Brian Haughton	Team High Lifter Polaris Racing	Polaris Sportsman 550
3rd	Scott Beavairs	Team QuadShop Customs	Can-Am Renegade 500

 

Can-Am/BRP Mud Bog 601cc and Up – This event was restricted to ATVs with engines 601cc and up. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced through 150 feet of mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Cody Shaw	Team Full Throttle Racing	Can-Am Outlander 800
2nd	Jace Chermiel	Team Performance Powersports	Can-Am Renegade 800
3rd	Seth Russell	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am	Can-Am Outlander 800

 

Can-Am/BRP Mud Bog RUV – This event was restricted to RUVs. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced through 150 feet of mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Josh Monroe	Team High Lifter Polaris Racing	Polaris RZR 900
2nd	Brian Haughton	Team High Lifter Polaris Racing	Polaris RZR 900
3rd	Steve Hittle	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am	Can-Am Commander 1000

 

Can-Am/BRP Mud Bog Pee Wee – This event was restricted to youth ATVs with engines from 0-125cc. Participants showcased their machines durability as they raced through 75 feet of mud and water

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	AJ Capra	Team Capra	Polaris Sportsman 90
2nd	Kayman Tidwell	Team WFO	Yamaha Grizzly 125
3rd	Korbyn Tidwell	Team WFO	Yamaha Grizzly 125

 

Can-Am/BRP Mud Bog Junior – This event was restricted to youth ATVs with engines from 126cc-250cc Participants showcased their machines durability as they raced through 75 feet of mud and water

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Kayman Tidwell	Team WFO	Honda Recon 250
2nd	Brandi Tarter	Team Full Throttle Racing	Suzuki 250
3rd	Korbyn Tidwell	Team WFO	Honda Recon 250

 

Can-Am/BRP Mud Bog Early Teen – This event was restricted to youth ATVs with engines from 251-450cc. Participants showcased their machines durability as they raced through 75 feet of mud and water

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Riley Smith	Team Off-Road Explosion	Can-Am Outlander 400
2nd	Rachael Wright	Team Off-Road Explosion	Can-Am Outlander 400
3rd	Brandi Tarter	Team Full Throttle Racing	Can-Am Outlander 400

 

Polaris Mudda Cross Lite – This event was restricted to ATVs with engines 450cc and under. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced around a 150 foot oval filled with mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Arthur Rousse	Team Performance Powersports	Can-Am 400
2nd	Chris Robertson	Team Offroad Explosion	Can-Am 400
3rd	Dwight Stelly	Team Performance Powersports	Arctic Cat 425i

 

Polaris Mudda Cross Bogger – This event was restricted to ATVs with engines between 451-750+cc. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced around a 150 foot oval filled with mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Dwight Stelly	Team Performance Powersports	Arctic Cat 700H1
2nd	Josh Monroe	Team High Lifter Polaris Racing	Polaris Sportsman 550 XP
3rd	Brandon Tarter	Team Full Throttle Racing	Suzuki King Quad 750

 

Polaris Mudda Cross Pro Series “A” – This event was restricted to ATVs with engines between 500-1000+cc with a 53” or less wheelbase. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced around a 150 foot oval filled with mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Matthew Bernard	Team Performance Powersports	Can-Am Renegade 1000
2nd	Adam Ladner	Team Anyting Goes	Can-Am Renegade 1000
3rd	Clint Smith	Team Offroad Explosion	Can-Am Outlander 800

 

Polaris Mudda Cross Pro Series “B” – This event was restricted to ATVs with engines between 500-1000+cc with a wheelbase longer than 53”. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced around a 150 foot oval filled with mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Brad Smith	Team Anyting Goes	Can-Am Outlander 800
2nd	Chris Robertson	Team Offroad Explosion	Can-Am Outlander 800
3rd	Dakotah Klein	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am	Can-Am Outlander 800

 

Polaris Mudda Cross Mud Chic – This event was restricted to ATVs driven by women with engines between 0-1000+cc. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced around a 150 foot oval filled with mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Lisa Wise	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am	Can-Am Outlander 1000
2nd	Julia McGinnis	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am	Can-Am Outlander 1000
3rd	Jerrie Albritton	Team 4Hix210 Racing	Can-Am Outlander 800

 

Polaris Mudda Cross RUV – This event was restricted to RUVs. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced around a 150 foot oval filled with mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Brian Taylor	SuperATV Team Mud	Polaris RZR 900 XP
2nd	Josh Monroe	Team High Lifter Polaris Racing	Polairs RZR 900 XP
3rd	Steve Hittle	Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am	Can-Am Maverick 1000

Polaris Mudda Cross Super Modified – This event was restricted to ATVs with engines between 0-1000+cc with additional engine modifications such as alcohol, Nitrous Oxide Systems, superchargers, turbo systems, and big bore kits. ATVs could also have productions or custom suspension lifts, extended A-Arms, extended swing arm, and extended trailing arms. Participants showcased their machine’s durability as they raced around a 150 foot oval filled with mud and water.

Place	Name	Team	ATV/UTV
1st	Tyler Knox	Team Wild Child Customs	Can-Am Outlander 800
2nd	Matthew Bernard	Team Performance Powersports	Can-Am Renegade 1000
3rd	Justin Hebert	Team Performance Powersprots	Can-Am Renegade 800

RZR XP900 Center Seat Success
Words by: Brit Mansell
Photos by: Media works

Months and months of deep thought, work and re-work culminated on Friday around noon when I put the finishing (functional) touches on the new center seat RZR XP900 race car. I was to qualify for round 1 of the ECORS series in Dayton, TN at 5PM that evening. That means we would just barely make it to the track in time for qualifying, literally taking the last available minute to finish the car.

My Dad was generous enough to help me finish up the car and make the trip with me to Tennessee (~4 hour drive). We heard rumors of bad storms and cold weather from everyone we talked to and every radio station along the way. I wasn’t at all excited about putting a brand new car into a mud race. They’re never the same after that.

Arriving at the track, after several stops for groceries (long story), fuel, and one flat trailer tire, I was very happy to see that the track conditions were near perfect. In fact, it was even a little dusty.

Since we were late getting there, and it was now dark, I decided to only take the car out for one qualifying session, two laps. Everything was great during qualifying, but seeing that this was my first time with the car in the dirt, it was a very weird feeling driving in the middle of the chassis. After a few minutes of getting used to it, all of the hard work, time spent and money spent was vindicated. This was literally the best performing SXS I had ever driven.

What surprised me the most about the performance was its ability to slide into a corner without feeling at all top heavy. The car is balanced within a couple of pounds left to right, but I think this turning precision is more attributed to the extra weight on the front end. With me sitting in the car, the weight balance is 55% (rear), 45% (front), about 10% more on the front than the stock car.

Another huge benefit is the reduced weight. The entire car performs better on a diet. I couldn’t be happier with how well the King Shocks soaked up the rough terrain at very high speeds. There were sections of the course where I was hitting almost 70 MPH.

Benchmark Performance built a killer engine for this vehicle and Chris has been there with me to sort out any issues immediately. The power delivery is strong and smooth, thanks to help from Dale at DirtyDawgPerformance and their RZR XP 900 clutch kit.

Another pair of companies I can’t overlook for this vehicle are GBC Motorsports (27″ GBC Dirt Commanders) and HiPer Racing Wheels. Those two companies kept our 2012 vehicle’s power to the ground for over 60 hard race hours last year with only one single failure. I’m very proud to have them on board again this year.

And, for the race…

As I left the line, a big smile came over my face. This car has literally rejuvenated my desire to go fast. All of the parts work seamlessly together to produce well oiled machine (thanks to Driven Racing Oil) that is literally fun to drive. The car was crazy fast, but suffered from a couple of mechanical, first-race demons that put me out of the race. No lasting damage was done to the car. We had the fastest lap times of the race and passed well into the field in front of me (adjusted time) before the problems occurred.

Huge congratulations and thanks to Rob and all of the ECORS crew for putting on another spectacular event. For more information and a schedule for this series, to gohttp://www.ecors.com.

Next

The repairs have been made and we’re ready for the next race, this coming weekend at Durhamtown, GA for the opening round of the GORS series.

After the race this weekend, the car will be torn back town and finished up with cage paint and a full wrap.

More Support

Along with the companies mentioned above, I would like go give mention to the following companies who have been essential in getting this car onto the track:

• Polaris
• OctaneMedia.com
• ATVScene.com
• Blue Torch Fab
• Yoshimura
• SXSPerformance.com
• King Shocks
• K&N Filters
• MPFab.com
• Rath Racing

While we are always stoked for the winners who rep UTVUG, we are also bummed for those who have rough finishes. With that said we want to extend special congrats to our boy Bobby Vanbeekum winning the Pro UTV class in his brand new Muzzys Polaris XP900! Also a special shout out to James Hill and his girl Sara Price who both got on the podium in their respective classes!

Havasu looked and sounded gnarly and it seems there was a ton of carnage on the track. We hope everyone can get their junk repaired and ready for Utah where we plan to be out there in FULL FORCE!!

Lastly, UTVUnderground.com wants to extend a heartfelt prayer for a speedy recovery to fallen rider Josh Fredrick who suffered a terrible accident at the Havasu event on his quad. Known around the world of ATV racing as one of the best, Fredrick crashed hard and suffered a major injury to his T5 vertebrae. Surgery has been performed but feeling in Josh’s legs has yet to be regained. I think we speak for everyone when we say that we hope and pray that Josh is able to bounce back 100% from this injury. Please keep the Fredrick family, and Josh in your thoughts and prayers.

Until Utah…..

DISCUSS IN THE FORUM

VIEW RESULTS ON WORCS WEBSITE

PRO PRODUCTION

POINTS

PRODUCTION 1000

POINTS

PRODUCTION 850

POINTS

PRODUCTION 700

POINTS

PRODUCTION 600

POINTS

Photos By: Rusty Baptist & Joey DiGiovanni // UTVUnderground.com

A healthy dose of perfect Texas weather greeted racing teams for the Dirt Riot Central Series race March 1 – 2 in Bryan, Texas. The race entries included 16 UTV teams from all over the Midwest. Three-hundred acres of abandoned gravel mines at Brazos Valley Off-Road Ranch made for an outstanding venue to host one of the 2013 season’s first desert endurance races in the Lone Star state.

Saturday’s UTV race lasted one hour, with the top teams completing seven laps. Dirt Riot’s competition rules are simple – after an hour, whoever crosses the finish line with the most laps wins. Wesley Gryner from Alma Arkansas placed first, including a fastest lap of 8:46. Brian Shirley (who is usually driving an Ultra4 buggy) placed second. Terrell Gauny from Cherokee, Texas placed third.

BJ Kohllepel drove the number 1028 Arctic Cat sponsored by Brave Motorsports. “This was my first Dirt Riot race – I liked the course a lot; the terrain is exactly what we enjoy riding. It was a mix of high speed along with some technical stuff to slow you down. My Wildcat did wonderful at first, we qualified 2nd in a big field of great drivers, but in the end the belt blew and we did not have enough time to fix it. I’m just thankful my co-driver stuck to our plan and kept me from over-driving my rig even if we are getting passed!”

In 2011, the Dirt Riot Endurance Racing series began with three events in the mid-South. All of the events were hailed a great success so 2012 saw a rapid expansion with five separate series of three events. In 2013 the league will host four series, Central, Mountain, Southwest and Southeast. “Dirt Riot Endurance Racing is a grassroots effort to put more drivers behind the wheel,” explains Rich Klein, President and founder of W.E. Rock Events. “Courses are diverse and give the racers the opportunity to try new things and gain more seat time. Our long-range view includes continued operations on a national level, while helping to expand the sport through creating regional and local event series.”

The Brazos Valley Off-Road Ranch typically sees club members coming out in Jeeps and 4x4s for weekend wheeling. This was their first opportunity to host racing teams from all over the Midwest and provide an exciting race venue for UTV enthusiasts. The landscape includes dramatic variations between the old mining pits and large hills, similar to the Badlands of South Dakota. Adjacent to the five acres of RV parking and pits stands a WW I era club house, providing basic facilities and a great view of the start/finish line.

BJ Kohllepel had some stiff competition from Polaris driver Tim Jackson from Sealy, Texas. “This was my second UTV race – the first was at King of the Canyons in Fredericksburg, Texas. I find that the RZR handles better when I drive by myself, so I went solo. I took it fairly easy on the track, of course turning it up a bit when I saw some dust from other competitors up front in order to get past them.”

“The atmosphere in the pits at these events is just like hanging out with family, with some friendly trash-talking mixed in. I plan to race anywhere I can this year, as long as my work doesn’t have me offshore. BJ Kohllepel is a good friend of mine and we always have some RZR vs Wildcat debates in good fun. I like to thank Arctic Cat for building a product that destroys belts and allows RZR drivers like me to finish closer to the front of the pack!”

Dirt Riot’s next UTV race is March 17 in Congress, Arizona and then in Moab, Utah at Area BFE on March 30^th as part of the Easter Jeep Safari week’s events. They are also excited to include a UTV ONLY event in Moab, Utah at Area BFE May 18^th as part of the Rally on the Rocks UTV week’s events.  Check out www.werocklive.com for the full schedule. Other leagues that offer UTV racing divisions in Texas include BRT – Baja Racing of Texas. Events at their 16,000-acre race facility north of Amarillo will be held July 18 to 21 and August 29 to September 1. Find out more at www.bajaracingtexas.com.

The UTV industry continues to experience explosive growth in the United States, and racing leagues like Dirt Riot and BRT are growing exponentially along with it. Industry analysts point to ongoing decline in ATV sales, with as much as 10 percent of annual ATV sales lost to UTV drivers in recent years. Retail sales of UTVs in the U.S. and Canada achieved a record level in 2011, and the trend is expected to continue with sales in North America predicted to climb another 12 to 15 percent, according to research developed by Power Products Marketing (PPM).

Whether you’re hitting the dunes with family and friends or desert racing with Dirt Riot, rest assured you’ll have a blast getting out in your UTV and kicking up some dust. See you in the desert!

RESULTS:

1. Wesley Gryner #7 – Polaris RZR XP900 – Alma, AR
2. Brian Shirley #18 – Polaris RZR XP900 – Kansas
3. Terrell Gauny #12 – Polaris RZR XP900 – Cherokee, TX
4. Tim Jackson #111 – Polaris RZR XP900 – Sealy, TX
5. BJ Kohllepel #1028 – Arctic Cat Wildcat

Photos by: Rusty Baptist // UTVUnderground.com

It was a solid turnout at the first round of the 2013 Dirt Series season at Lake Elsinore this past weekend. UTV racers in 4 classes squared up on the freshly built UTV track at LEMXP and battled it out on a perfect day in Southern California. UTVUnderground.com Team Racers would take the top spots in all 4 classes with Bryan Carr of the UTV Wolfpack winning UTV Production 1000, James Hill of IMG Motorsports winning Unlimited UTV, Nolan Remlinger of Long Travel Industries / Kawasaki winning UTV Production 850, and young gun Ronnie Anderson of Walker Evans Racing / Polaris winning in the UTV Production 700 class.

As always we want to extend a HUGE thank you and congrats to ALL of the UTVUnderground.com racers out there running the track and representing our colors on their cars! It looks to be a fun and exciting season and we look forward to watching this fun series grow in 2013!!

UTV Production 1000

1. Bryan Carr #13
2. Mark Partridge #88
3. Jeremy Merrell #777
4. Cory Dehoog #710
5. Speedy Gonzales #796
6. Alan Lulak #347
7. James Gorman #51
8. Cody Bradbury #11
9. Roger Diaz #785
10. Nick Thompson #176
11. Doug Eichner #431
12. Tommy Scranton #111

UTV Production 850

1. Nolan Remlinger #417
2. Dave Miller #347
3. Chuck Ross #11
4. Kayla Smith #3

UTV Production 700

1. Ronnie Anderson #11
2. Teddy Chott #357

UTV Unlimited

1. James Hill #91
2. Kenny Frost #876
3. Will Rogers #65
4. John Pacheco #725
5. Brandon Cunningham #605

UTVUnderground wants to congratulate all who took on the first race of the 2013 SCORE Baja race season in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico at the San Felipe 250. We want to extend a special congrats to Matt Parks in the 1932 Jagged X/Polaris XP4 for being the first to win in the newly created PRO UTV class at SCORE.  Parks cruised to a dominating win having an almost flawless day. We also want to give another huge congrats to Baja veteran Thomas Graves in the 1950 Yamaha Rhino for winning once again another Sportsman UTV race. That Rhino is unbelievable!

Thank you to Matt Parks and the entire Jagged X team for hosting us in Baja this weekend, we truly appreciate it and were glad we could witness this historic race for the UTV class. We are really looking forward to the 500 in June and hope to see even more UTV’s out there!!!

I wish I was able to snap more shots but Baja is really hard for us to chase because everyone gets so spread out. I got what I could and I will try to locate more images to share!